Chapter 137

Chapter 137: Inescapable Tribulation

"For ninety thousand years, I have anticipated this day, not just once."

The Withered Wood Daoist’s mana churned violently, his Purple Palace opened wide. Fuyuan and the other five were drawn into his Purple Palace. Resplendent divine light brewed within his eyes, swirling with divine patterns; his physical body transformed into a colossal divine tree that reached into the heavens.

Boom!

The divine tree shattered the firmament. Its leaves and branches swept through, scattering the Dao King’s formation like dust, piercing the clouds to reveal the azure sky.

"Domain of Ten Thousand Tribulations!"

A weathered face appeared upon the trunk of the great tree. The Withered Wood Daoist channeled his mana; every leaf and branch manifested distinct patterns of the Great Dao, each limb transforming into orderly divine chains.

The canopy blotted out the sky, stretching obscenely to cover millions of miles.

A full million miles of land became the Withered Wood Daoist’s domain of the Great Dao.

"Master, I know every one of your divine abilities inside out. How do you intend to win?"

A trace of disdain flickered in the Dao King’s eyes. He pointed a finger, like it was a brush, making a single, light stroke through the world.

Instantly, the space where the Dao King stood was severed from Heaven and Earth.

Invulnerable to all laws.

“Finger Pointing, Brushstroking,” was also a domain ability, isolating a space from the natural world, creating its own distinct realm.

Swish! Swish!

The branches of the divine tree swept down. Countless divine patterns manifested; different powers of the Great Dao intertwined like a raging torrent, threatening to crush the Dao King into oblivion.

Yet, the Dao King remained utterly unmoving. He allowed the branches imbued with the power of the Great Dao to strike him down freely, yet not a single hair on his head was harmed.

"You have grown old!"

The Dao King solemnly declared. He brought his fingers together, forming a sword gesture, and lashed outward with a piercing blow.

KABOOM!

In the next heartbeat, a sword beam of cataclysmic force tore through the air. It shredded the Withered Wood Daoist’s Domain of Ten Thousand Tribulations, severed countless branches like thread, and rent the very heavens in two.

The upheaval was immense, sufficiently violent to disturb the powerful beings slumbering within the Shadow Realm.

Sections of Divine Sense, heavy with terrifying auras, turned their attention to the scene.

The Dao King remained indifferent.

His sword strike cleaved through the Domain of Ten Thousand Tribulations. Twin beams of divine light ignited within his eyes, piercing the void itself and landing squarely upon the great tree.

The divine tree erupted into flames.

Purple divine fire blazed forth, devouring it completely. Crackling filled the air, punctuated by the Withered Wood Daoist’s agonized howls echoing from within the burning tree.

This fire was specifically refined to sear the soul. And the Withered Wood Daoist’s primordial spirit, still grievously damaged from the tribulation he endured ninety thousand years prior, was utterly helpless before the Dao King’s power.

"It is time to end this!"

The Dao King whispered, his voice cold and remote. As his words faded, divine patterns surged to life all around. Skyfire descended like a rain of falling stars, engulfing the entirety of the Withered Wood Sect.

Piercing, blood-curdling screams consumed the Withered Wood Sect.

"Beast!"

Withered Wood Daoist roared. The divine tree shook violently, barely extinguishing the divine flames. Root after root stretched out as he moved swiftly. Branches like arms whirled above and below, unleashing tens of thousands of divine techniques in the blink of an eye.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dao King met the assault. Facing Withered Wood Daoist’s countless divine techniques, he still offered only one sword.

Clang!

A divine sword flew out from his Purple Palace. The sword light danced wildly, illuminating the gloomy sky as it severed branches one after another. With a single sword stroke, he shattered Withered Wood Daoist’s techniques.

A vast gulf existed in power between the two.

"Master, I once thought you couldn’t survive," Dao King stared at the divine tree, his eyes flickering, "Yet I never imagined you’d cling to life by such means. Who aided you in secret?"

Another sword strike landed. The divine tree was stripped utterly bare, its aura flickering like a candle flame in the wind, seemingly on the verge of extinguishing in the next instant.

"Gate of All Mysteries!"

A spark of resolute insight flashed in Withered Wood Daoist’s eyes, as if a decision had been made.

The Book of All Mysteries began to operate. Across heaven and earth, the profoundly mystical sound of the Dao resonated, note after note penetrating deeply into the ears.

"A second technique?"

Dao King’s gaze sharpened. Withered Wood Daoist actually possessed a second cultivation method?

Moreover, the moment this method activated, it connected with heaven and earth, invoking the Great Dao’s resonance. Evidently, it was an immensely profound and formidable technique.

"Master, it’s beyond me that over the past hundred thousand years, you still hid such skill from me."

Dao King bared his teeth in a cold smile. "Since this method is so extraordinary, hand it over to me now."

Boom!

Withered Wood Daoist ignored him. Chanting incantations under his breath, the Great Dao of heaven and earth converged towards him. Above the Shadow Realm, the dark clouds dispersed as a shaft of sacred light shone in from the depths of the cosmos.

Countless divine patterns swirled within the sacred radiance. The power of heaven and earth coalesced.

Moments later, a vague outline manifested in the heavens.

It resembled a door.

That door seemed closed, radiating boundless, unfathomable wonder. It was as though merely pushing it open could grant mastery over the source of heaven and earth, attaining eternal freedom.

An involuntary surge of reverence arose within Dao King’s heart.

Instinct told him that door possessed an immense origin.

"Old and feeble, I lack the strength! In the end, I can only borrow a shred of its power!"

Withered Wood Daoist let out a long sigh. The divine tree gradually withered, growing steadily older and more decrepit, appearing near death. His life force ebbed away with terrifying speed.

That door was the Gate of All Mysteries, which he had summoned through the Book of All Mysteries.

This Gate belonged to legend, a divine manifestation embodying the very source of heaven and earth.

To master the Gate of All Mysteries was to master the origin of heaven and earth.

The Book of All Mysteries he cultivated was his own master, Duobao Daoist’s, self-created cultivation method. This was achieved after Duobao Daoist glimpsed the Gate of All Mysteries and comprehended some of its profound mysteries.

To practice it to its ultimate end allowed one a chance to glimpse the Gate of All Mysteries.

But Withered Wood Daoist was too weak. Forcing the summoning of the Gate rapidly drained him towards utter exhaustion.

This was his final resort.

Boom!

A majestic sound of the Dao reverberated from the phantom of the Gate of All Mysteries, shaking heaven and earth.

Then, the Gate of All Mysteries began to glow.

Wherever that radiance touched, everything crumbled, returning to its most fundamental essence.

When that light fell upon one disciple, their physical body instantly disintegrated, reduced to the barest particles that dissolved into the universe—one with both light and dust.

A wave of dread surged within the Dao King.

"Great Sovereign Taihao, One Thought Blossoms!"

The Dao King’s primordial spirit emerged from his Purple Palace—a towering and majestic figure resembling an imperial monarch, whose imperious gaze swept across the cosmos.

He summoned his power and pointed a finger.

Within the world, a divine purple lotus manifested, blooming gracefully.

At the very moment of its unfolding, infinite worlds were born within it, concealing countless divine abilities; every petal that peeled open seemed poised to enclose the Gate of All Mysteries.

Shuashuashua!

As the light from the Gate of All Mysteries cascaded down, countless petals dissolved instantly. Yet more and more petals surged forward, wrapping around the Gate of All Mysteries amid the clashing of untold primal forces.

The Shadow Realm itself cracked apart, a fissure spanning hundreds of thousands of miles tearing across reality as violent void storms writhed dragon-like throughout existence.

Bang!

A few breaths later, the divine purple lotus enveloped the Gate of All Mysteries. The gate embodying the very origins of creation vanished from the heavens and the earth.

The Withered Wood Daoist sat cross-legged upon the ground, his lower body still merging into the base of his tree trunk.

He opened his eyes, but not a trace of vitality remained within him.

His fundamental essence was utterly depleted; he had fallen forever.

"Come out!"

The Dao King thrust his massive hand into the Withered Wood Daoist’s now-drying Purple Palace. Within it hid Fuyuan and his five companions.

At the sight of that colossal palm, utter despair washed over them.

That giant hand scooped them up as easily as an eagle seizing fledglings. All six were captured by the Dao King and then tossed onto the ruins of the Withered Wood Sect.

"Master…"

The six saw their teacher, the Withered Wood Daoist, dead before his time—sorrow overwhelmed their hearts.

The Dao King channeled his power, and threads of his Divine Sense poured into their respective Purple Palaces. He invoked the soul-scouring arts to extract every memory of each disciple’s entire life.

Even Fuyuan, a Great Emperor, was utterly powerless to resist under the Dao King’s manipulations.

When even the Withered Wood Daoist had perished, what were they but insects? How could they oppose the Dao King?

Yet, despite combing through every shred of their minds, the Dao King discovered nothing concerning the Book of All Mysteries.

"Old thing! How cunning!"

Fury twisted the Dao King’s features.

The Book of All Mysteries was too profound; he was extremely eager to obtain this method, but Withered Wood Daoist had concealed it very deeply and surprisingly did not pass on the Book of All Mysteries to Fuyuan and the others.

From this, it could be seen that two hundred thousand years ago, Withered Wood Daoist very likely already obtained the Book of All Mysteries.

"Could it possibly be his other master?"

Dao King suddenly thought of a possibility.

Withered Wood Daoist was suspected to have two masters.

One came from the Taihao Heavenly Sect and was Dao King’s grandmaster; the other was of unknown origin.

And this master with an unknown origin very likely was the one who passed the Book of All Mysteries to him.

"Master, you truly are amazing; even in death, you won’t give me peace."

Dao King’s expression darkened.

"Master is dead… Let’s fight him to the end…"

Several individuals were overwhelmed with grief and fury; they mobilized their magical power and divine weapons, preparing to charge at Dao King.

"Noisy chatter."

Dao King flicked his sleeve; a sword light swept out, magical treasures shattered, and the heads of six people flew up—he killed six junior brothers and sisters with one sword strike, including Fuyuan.

His gaze was indifferent, as if he had merely crushed six ants.

"Do you all want to exchange a few moves with me as well?"

Dao King lifted his head; his Divine Sense clashed with the thoughts of those watching him, revealing killing intent.

As soon as these words were spoken, those powerful beings each withdrew their auras.

Dao King’s strength was too formidable; he stood at the peak of the lower world, and no one was willing to become his enemy.

Unless a true immortal descended into this world, Dao King would fear nothing.

Boom!

Dao King slammed a palm onto Withered Wood Daoist; his physical body and the tree stump turned completely into flying ashes. But Dao King still did not leave; only after he was fully certain of Withered Wood Daoist’s death did he fly out of Tianmu Continent and depart the Shadow Realm.

…

At the same time.

The Deep Abyss of the Return to the Ruins.

A bald monk in a Taoist robe looked towards the sky; it was none other than Duobao Daoist.

His expression was grave; a pipa slipped from his hand and fell into a coffin.

"The Gate of All Mysteries has descended."

Duobao Daoist’s demeanor was stern. "In the lower world, the only person who could summon the Great Dao mark of the Gate of All Mysteries is that foolish disciple of mine."

He moved his fingers as if calculating, and his face grew somber.

"Boundless Celestial Lord, in the end, you could not escape calamity."

Duobao Daoist sighed deeply.

He was exploring, but suddenly felt a premonition and instantly understood the cause of the events.

Regarding this disciple he had taken in by chance, Duobao Daoist had not paid much attention; he had only taught him the Book of All Mysteries and aided him in reshaping his physical body after his first fall.

But ultimately, he did not avoid calamity.

"Destined by fate, calamity is impossible to escape."

Duobao Daoist slowly withdrew the pipa, murmuring to himself.

Boom!

Suddenly, Duobao Daoist’s eyes turned cold and detached; he exerted force with his five fingers, and that imperial weapon pipa instantly shattered into dust, scattering with the wind.

"Amitabha Buddha."

"Dear disciple’s disciple, what you have done is too excessive."

Duobao Daoist proclaimed a Buddhist chant, his gaze shadowed. "This humble Daoist shall also carry out the will of Heaven."

However, this matter still needed long-term planning.

He was no longer as he once was.

Dealing with Dao King was no simple matter.